Eye Witness cruises in Animal Kingdom

Eye Witness ran to his lofty purchase price, odds and recent training with an authoritative victory in the $180,000 Animal Kingdom to kick off the stakes portion of Saturday’s Jeff Ruby Steaks Day card at Turfway Park.

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the field of five reduced by a trio of scratches, Eye Witness tracked early and took command of the 6-furlong stakes with less than a quarter-mile to run en route to a 5-length victory under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Trained by Wesley Ward, the 3-year-old son of City of Light improved to 2-for-3 in the Animal Kingdom, adding to his New Year’s Day victory at Turfway after starting his career with a third sprinting on the grass during the Belmont at the Big A meeting in September. Eye Witness earned $93,000 for the win to boost his bankroll to $123,240 for the Coolmore-affiliated ownership group Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor.

Eye Witness, who breezed a bullet 5 furlongs in :59.20 over the main track at Keeneland Race Course March 16, came away first at the break before conceding the early lead to Olazabal and jockey Gerardo Corrales. Ortiz put Eye Witness just off the leader through the sharp opening quarter-mile in :22.26 over the synthetic surface.

Olazabal, an 11-length winner in his most recent start at Turfway in mid-January, continued to lead Eye Witness by 1 1/2 lengths through the half in :46.54. Eye Witness drew on even terms turning for home and drew off from there, widening his 1-length advantage in midstretch to 5 at the wire. Olazabal held second, 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Brazen Boy in third. Eye Witness won in 1:11.76.

Eye Witness was the top-priced New York-bred at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale[3] on a bid of $650,000 from Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier during the auction’s third session as Hip 723[4]. Bred by Anlyn Farms and foaled at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater, Eye Witness originally sold as a weanling to Brady Bloodstock for $235,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale.

A half-brother to New York-bred stakes winner More Mischief and stakes-placed winner Myawaya, Eye Witness is the eighth foal out of the Mr. Greeley mare Gracilia. A half-sister to New York-bred champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old and Grade 2 winner Sharp Humor, Gracilia is also the dam of New York-bred winners Scalpeen, Decorator Jenn and Killala Bay.

Gracilia’s New York-bred daughter of Practical Joke sold for $190,000 at this week’s OBS March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training. She is also the dam of a yearling New York-bred filly by Game Winner.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/03/25/eye-witness-cruises-in-animal-kingdom/

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